


Getting Sinister

by Ghost0



Series: New York Underground [5]
Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Defenders (Marvel TV)
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-17
Updated: 2020-12-17
Packaged: 2021-03-10 17:00:30
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,943
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28120527
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Ghost0/pseuds/Ghost0
Summary: The Osborns start to gather their team together. The Vulture returns, and the man who will become Scorpion will put on the outfit. Karen and Malcolm try to get more information out of Norman to try and figure out what his goal is. Trish Walker leaves the Raft and is recruited. Norman comes face to face with a past mistake in the hopes of turning him into something better, something to accomplish his mission.
Series: New York Underground [5]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2053425
Kudos: 3





	Getting Sinister

“Toomes!” Adrian forced his eyes open, picking his head up to look at the guard outside of his cell. “Come with me.” He started to unlock the cell door. It was still night outside, he can tell by looking past the guard and looking out the barred window of the cell across from him. His feet hit the floor as he rubbed his face. He stood up and made his way over to the guard. “Turn around.” Following the order, Adrian felt the handcuffs attach themselves to his wrists behind his back. One hand grabbed onto his arm with the guard used the other to close and lock the cell. Then they walked down the hall and past the other jailed prisoners. Most of them were still sleeping, a couple moved but they didn’t seem to be reacting to them. Just tossing in their crappy beds. They got to the end of the hallway and turned right. They kept walking straight and made a couple of other turns.

Approaching a door, the guard unlocked it and they entered inside. Adrian noticed that there were two tables set up and one of them was already occupied. But the guard blocked his view of the other prisoner as he escorted Toomes to his table. He unlocked the handcuffs and had him extend his arms outward. The chains connected to the table were then attached to his wrists before he could sit down. Only after all that was done did the guard walk back to the door to stand on the other side and allow Adrian to greet the other prisoner with him.

“What are the chances that we are both getting early parole?” Adrian turned his head and directed the question to the other guy. He was Mac Gargan, the guy who once asked him if he knew the identity of Spider-Man. Right now, he was chained like Adrian and he shook his head and shrugged his shoulders.

“I guess we’ll find out eventually.” His eyes turned and met Adrian’s gaze. He couldn’t tell if Gargan knew that Adrian lied to him. Shouldn’t matter now, since now everyone knows the kid’s identity. But Adrian will have to make sure that he keeps his distance. 

Noise was heard from the other side of the room. Both turned to look at the other door that was beginning to open. A guard held the door for someone else to walk through. A woman, wearing a bright colored pencil skirt with a matching blazer. “Good evening gentlemen.” Her heels clicked against the hard ground as she took a few steps towards them. Holding her hands in front of her, she looked at both of them. “My name is Melissa Osborn.”

“And to what do we owe the pleasure of meeting you Miss Osborn?” Adrian asked as he raised an eyebrow. She turned to meet his gaze.

“The reason why you are here – why you are both here is because you have a shared experience.” She turned her head back to Mac Gargan. “You have both went through the unfortunate experience of being captured by the vigilante known as Spider-Man.” This got Mac to straighten up a little bit. Simply hearing the name seemed to make him more alert. Adrian remained calm and waited for her to continue. She positioned herself so that she can direct both of them at the same time. “We at Oscorp, in cooperation with the NYPD, would like to offer you two the chance to join a work program of sorts. Serve your time under Oscorp and assist the NYPD with capturing criminals and making the city a safer place for its citizens.”

“Why the Hell would we do that?” Gargan smirked at her. 

Melissa allowed herself the tiniest of grins as she focused her attention on him. “Your first assignment is to track down the vigilante Spider-Man. I’m sure both of you have managed to keep up to date with what is happening on the outside.”

Adrian shrugged his shoulders. “Maybe. Not sure why you need us.” Melissa turned back to Adrian. Her look had changed, one showing something resembling sympathy.  
“Adrian, following your capture, your wife and daughter moved away. And from what I can tell, you have not been given any way to contact them. Of course you are free to make calls, but do you have a number to reach them at?” Adrian remained silent, holding her gaze. “I understand why you did what you did. My husband and I care for our son very much. In fact, I even think our children attended the same school. His name is Eugene Thompson. He insisted on keeping the name of his birth parents, but that doesn’t mean we love him any less or vice versa. You were simply trying to provide for your family and keep them secure. You were cheated out of an honest way to do that and were forced to provide through less than ideal means. If you agree to work with us, we can redefine how people see you. Most of the people want to see Peter Parker pay for what he has done. To have you be one of the people to bring him down would serve as a symbol of redemption.”

Melissa turned back to Mac. “And you, Mr. Gargan, would also be a valuable member of our team. You are one of the few people that has managed to evade Spider-Man’s attempts to apprehend you multiple times. Public footage and eye witness testimony has shown that you are very adaptable and strategic opponent. If you agree to join, we can provide you the tools that will help you gain an advantage over Mr. Parker. And Adrian, we would of course rebuild your gear if you agree.” That seemed to make Gargan smile a little bit. She looked between the two of them. “So gentlemen, what will it be?” 

“Sure. Why not?” Gargan replied. Adrian thought for a little longer. Melissa patiently waited to hear what he would have to say. He looked down at the table as he thought it over. When he was done, he looked directly at her.

“Give me my wings.”

******

Someone knocked on the door. Tim Dalton turned around to see a man open the door, wearing a dark purple dress shirt with black pants. He held a briefcase in his hand. “Excuse me, I’m here to update your system.”

“Update? I don’t remember getting any notification.”

“Mr. Osborn said he would like this done with all of his executive as soon as he can. If you want me to go back and tell him that you don’t think – “

“No! Sorry, didn’t realize that he directly – how long would this take?” He sat up and fixed his attire.

The man looked at his watch. “If you want to go get lunch, I can be in and out before you get back. Trust me, I won’t screw anything up.” Mr. Dalton nodded his head, patted his pockets to make sure he had all of his stuff. He moved past the man and closed the office door as he left. Once he was gone, Malcolm went over and sat down, opening up the system. “All right, let’s see what we can find.” Reaching into his pocket, he plugged in the flash drive and looked through what was on the screen. He tried to pick out the files that seemed to hold the most promise of finding something useful. It took a few minutes to get what he could and download it. But once it did, he moved quickly to unplug and get out of there. He turned and reached the elevator to go back down to the ground floor. Once the doors opened up, he briskly walked through the lobby and headed outside. Making a left, he walked to the end of the street until he ran into her.

Karen stepped forward. “Run into any trouble?”

“No. We’re good.” He pulled out the drive and handed it to her. “Didn’t really have any time to look at it. So I can’t be sure what it is you will be looking at or what you can find.”  
“That’s fine. I got my laptop. I can just head into the coffee shop and look through some of it before I interview Norman in an hour.” She put it in her jacket pocket.

“How did you manage to do that anyway?” Malcolm asked.

“Honestly, I don’t know why he agreed. Which means I have to be careful about how I am going to word my questions.” She nodded. “Check back in with Jess. I’ll call you guys after I’m done.” Malcolm gave a curt nod and left. Karen went into the coffee shop and found a table and went right into the drive to see if she can trip up Norman on anything.

******

Norman looked up when he heard the door open. His secretary poked her head in. “Mr. Osborn, Miss Page is here for the interview.”

“Thank you Sarah. Send her in.” He finished sending an email and turned around to see the reporter enter his office. “Afternoon Miss Page. Can I provide you with any refreshments? Water, coffee?” 

Karen walked in the room and shook her head, turning to smile politely at the secretary to show she doesn’t need anything. The door was then closed, Karen walking forward and sitting down. She reached in her pocket and pulled out her cell phone, putting it on the desk to record their conversation. “Thank you for having me Mr. Osborn. But I must admit, I was a little surprised you found it worth your time to talk to me.”

“Well Miss Page, I am familiar with your work and have been a fan of your reporting for a little while. Are you still working for the Bulletin?”  
“No, I am currently with the law firm Nelson, Murdock and yours truly.” She gave a small grin. “But I found it was still worth my time to continue reporting using a blog site which a lot of people seem to be engaged with. I have found that in the wake of such starting events and revelations, people need the truth now more than ever.”

“Yes, well these have been troubling times.” Norman let out a sigh. “No one likes to see someone that so many people look up to be exposed as a hypocrite. And one that has committed such terrible acts. I have sympathy for Peter Parker and I hope he gets the help he needs.”

“Is that why you have been working with the NYPD? Usually big business doesn’t get involved with tracking down a criminal unless said criminal used to work for them.”

“In a way, I guess you can say that. My son, Eugene Thompson, goes to the same school as Mr. Parker. When I heard that a murderer was in the same building as for the better part of every week, I will admit that I freaked out a little bit. Tortured myself for not trying to do more to secure his safety.” His shoulder slumped ever so slightly. “But when I collected myself, I realized that the best thing I can do to make up for it is to locate Peter and have him face the consequences of his actions. So I guess you can say my actions are that of a concerned father and citizen.”

Karen nodded as she remained focused on Norman’s facial expressions. “I’m assuming you have been made aware of the confrontation in Harlem earlier this week. The one with the giant mechanical rhino and Peter as well as several other New York vigilantes?” Norman nodded. “Several of the people at the scene, including myself, watched the rhino jump out of a moving delivery truck that disappeared while the fight commenced. A truck that had your logo on the side of it. Considering that the man inside the rhino was Willis Stryker, a convict that was supposed to be held in the Raft, what do you think happened to allow something like this to happen?”

Norman cleared his throat. “When I saw the rhino on the news, I recognized as one of our experimental projects. Something we were working on within our research department, located in different part of the city. From what we could gather from our internal investigation, Mr. Stryker had influenced a couple of our employees at the Raft and at our research department. They then stole the rhino suit and transported him to Harlem. From what I can gather, Mr. Stryker still held a grudge with the man known as Luke Cage and wanted to settle a personal vendetta.”

“Escaping the Raft is no easy feat.” Karen commented.

“I have no idea how he accomplished that part. But we have taken measures to ensure the staff in our research department are trustworthy people and relocated them, keeping the location of the research facility secret. And I am sure the staff at the Raft have gone through their own protective measures.”

Karen nodded as she studied him. “I’m sure they have. The last thing I want to talk about is the work program that you have started in cooperation with the NYPD. Why are you using inmates to track down Peter Parker?”

Norman grinned. “Who else would be better suited to track down a criminal than other criminals? They would know the locations in the criminal underworld that someone would go to evade capture. And the ones we are seeking out to join have had experience with Spider-Man in the past. So they will have fighting experience along with upgraded tools and weapons to help gain an edge if force becomes necessary. I assure you Miss Page, we are taking all the precautions needed to ensure that no inmate will try to escape while under our supervision. I understand that is a concern, and I will admit it is a risk. But I believe it is a risk that is worth it when it comes to protecting the general public.”

She wanted to try and push more out of him. But to try and anger him wouldn’t be beneficial right now. Her hand reached out to end the recording and started to get up. “Thank you for your time Mr. Osborn. I’m sure a lot of people would be very eager to know this.”

“I’m sure they will.” Karen started to walk away but before she reached the door, Norman spoke up again. “Oh, and one last thing Miss Page.” She stopped and turned around. “You should let your friend Miss Wing know that she should start closing her blinds. It is a practical way to ensure that no one can peep into her home and spy something they shouldn’t be seeing.” Karen didn’t change her facial expression. But she felt her heart quicken a little bit. The door opened and Karen was let out of Norman’s office. He turned his head back to his computer and saw that the email he sent has already been responded to. His phone rang, picking it up right away. “How are things proceeding?”

“As expected.” Melissa responded on the other end. “How did your interview go?”

“Overall, uninteresting. I would have thought she had pushed a little more. But maybe she has the details she needs from that drive her gentlemen ally extracted from our systems.”

“They can theorize but they wouldn’t be able to have anything concrete from that. I’m waiting for our fifth agent to arrive right now, just so you are aware. I know she wasn’t your first pick but I feel she would be useful if close combat is required.”

Norman looked back at his computer screen. “Right now I feel more comfortable with her than I do with…you know.”

There was silence for a brief moment on the other end. “Perhaps I should go meet with him. Or at least be there with you.”

“No. This is something I need to do alone.” He asserted.

“I know it’s difficult, going back to that part of your life. But remember what this is all for Norman.” Even though he couldn’t see her, he could tell that she said that with a smile on her face. He felt a little more relaxed simply picturing that in his head.

“I remember. I should leave now if I am to do this. I’ll call you afterwards.” Melissa nodded and ended the conversation. She turned around when the doors opened up. A couple of Oscorp security guards escorted the woman wearing orange and with a high tech power dampener on her neck. The woman known as Trish Walker walked forward until she was several feet in front of Melissa.

“Take that thing off her.” She ordered. The guards moved towards Trish and took a couple of seconds to remove the device. Trish rubbed her neck and stretched it. “Welcome to Oscrop Miss Walker.”

“This doesn’t look like Oscorp tower.” Trish looked up and around. There were several scientists working at various table spread throughout the room. 

“This is the location our research department works at. We need to keep it secret so that no one tries to steal our projects. Now, let’s get you out of that and into the outfit you will be sporting when out in the field.” Melissa turned and lead Trish towards a door on the side of the room. The hand print scanner glowed green and opened the door for the women to walk through.

******

Norman knocked on the apartment door. He waited for a couple of minutes before it opened. A young man in his twenties answered it, wearing a sleeveless shirt and jeans. There were a couple tattoos on both of his arms. Nothing specific, just general designs he must have gotten because he liked the way they looked. He didn’t say anything, just turned around and walked back inside. But he left the door open, so he expected Norman to come inside. The business man closed the door behind him and unbuttoned his overcoat. “Hope you aren’t overpaying on rent.” He commented. He walked down the small hall and forced to turn left into the room that served as a living space and a bedroom. The young man stood in the middle of the room while Norman stood at the edge. He looked around a little bit. “I’m guessing you don’t have any roommates. You aren’t behind on any payments are you?”

He shook his head. “No. I don’t worry too much about money. Which is a little surprising, considering…” He trailed off, not wanting to finish a sentence that didn’t need to be said.

“Right.” Norman slowly exhaled through his mouth. “Anyway, how is she?”

“Fine. Got back from hip surgery. Neighbor checks in every once in a while from what I can gather.” He nodded his head. Both of them remained silent, neither one sure if they wanted to continue with the small talk or rip the band aid off. But after a couple of minutes that just seemed to drag on, the younger of the two made the first move. “Just tell me why you’re here or leave man.”

Norman didn’t react. “Listen, son – “

“Don’t fucking call me that.” He cut Norman off. “You don’t deserve to call me that.”

Norman raised a hand and lowered his head. “Apologies. Listen, I…I’ve been doing some thinking. Perhaps it’s time that I admit my mistakes. Own what I did to you and your mom.”

“Kind of late on that front.” The young man sat down, pulling out a cigarette and lighting it. As the smoke exited his mouth, Norman took a few steps forward.

“I can’t imagine – “

“No, you can’t.” He turned and looked up at him. “From what she told me, you had the resources even back then.”

“That was my father’s money, not mine to spend on whatever I wanted.”

The young man glared. “We weren’t some spontaneous Ferrari you purchased on a fucking whim! And we certainly weren’t some house that you pay mortgage on every month! Look man, I don’t care about having a dad anymore. Unless you want to start sending your monthly buy offs in person, then get out.” His head turned away and he kept smoking. Norman sat down next to him on the pull out bed.

“You might not care about me, but I care about you. I cared about your mother back then and I still do! For Christ’s sake, who do you think paid her medical bills!” The young man didn’t speak. Norman sighed. “I’m getting older, and as my age changes so does my perspective. It’s time I treat you like a person, a part of my family.” The young man shook his head, not believing what Norman was saying. But he went on. “I’ve been going through every file I can about you. Amazing athlete, yet in and out of jail. You have a lack of focus and that is one of the many things I want to give you now.”

“Are you going to send me to summer camp?” The young man asked.

“No. I want to turn you into a hero.” He turned to face Norman. “Join my team to hunt Spider-Man. You’ll be applauded and loved by everyone. I can give you the adoration that you deserve, the family that you never had! My wife…she is excited to meet you. We haven’t talked to Eugene yet, and it will be an adjustment. But I know he will love you too if you are willing to try.”

He looked down at the ground, scratching his head. “I don’t know. Yea, I can take a hit and tackle, but I don’t have the same kind of strength as those tight wearing freaks.”

“That won’t be an issue. I will give you everything you need.” Norman used one hand and grabbed onto the young man’s head, looking at him right in the eyes. “Let us work together Harry. Let’s be a family.” Harry didn’t show any signs of crying, but there was a look in his eyes that Norman recognized. It was the look he was hoping to get from him. With a simple nod of his head, the young Osborn was on board.

******

“All the agents are in their quarters ma’am.” The guard stood at attention in Melissa’s office. 

“Thank you Stuart. You are dismissed.” He nodded and left Melissa in her office. She worked at her desk, two computer screens in front of her. She typed at her keyboard and assigned a code to each member. Adrian Toomes as agent S3, followed by Mac Gargan as S4 and then Trish Walker as S5. The sixth spot has been filled by Harry, which Melissa is putting in their system. Turning to the other monitor, she checked the status of the sleep chamber. It looks like he might be ready to come out as early as tomorrow. Her phone rang, she checked the ID before answering it.

“Update agent S1?”

“They closed the blinds. But I see more than one person inside.” He said. “Can’t confirm if that is him.”

“Even if it is, you will not fire on him. We will stick to the plan. When he goes down, we need it out in the public.”

“Yea, I got it. No need to repeat yourself.” He remarked. “I’ll stay on them.”

“Good.” She hung up. Pushing away from her desk, she left her office to go to the storage room. Time to get his outfit out for when agent S2 finally wakes up.


End file.
